<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Long Night by Capstar98</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24956038">The Long Night</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capstar98/pseuds/Capstar98'>Capstar98</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>BAMF Helen Cho, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Sick Peter Parker, Sickfic, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Vomiting, meningitis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:42:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24956038</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capstar98/pseuds/Capstar98</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When May drops a sick Peter off when she goes out of town, Tony doesn't expect much trouble beyond the kid's attitude. But of course, Peter couldn't just have the common cold. It was never that simple. </p><p>(aka the classic Sick Peter trope, with a twist -- kind of)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>273</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Long Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here's my take on the classic Irondad sickfic trope. Medical professionals, take this one with a grain of salt.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was early afternoon on a Friday when Tony got a text from May saying that Peter was sick. It wouldn't be a problem, necessarily - except that May was headed out of town for a work conference she was giving a presentation at, and would be gone for the whole weekend. So now she was asking Tony to help keep an eye on him.</p><p>The fact that it was so normal almost made him laugh. A year ago Tony hadn't even met Peter, and now he was being trusted to look after the kid when he was sick. He wasn't even anxious about it, besides being a little worried about Peter.</p><p>Luckily he had the day free, and the weekend… well, he could make his schedule as open as it needed to be. Pepper was working, but she'd be home for dinner.</p><p>Soon enough, the pair arrived and FRIDAY let them in.</p><p>Tony heard them talking as he walked to greet them.</p><p>"I'm not <em>five," </em>Peter grumbled. "You could have just left me home."</p><p>May chuckled at him softly. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But now you'll have someone to talk to. Isn't that the saying? 'Misery loves company?'"</p><p>Peter sounded incredulous. "I'm not sure that's what that means."</p><p>"Well, it does today. Now, come on. Inside."</p><p>Tony rounded a corner and spotted the two of them shedding their coats and stepping out of the elevator. "Hey!" he waved. "Come on in."</p><p>"Hey, Tony," May said, smiling gratefully. "Thanks for helping out tonight."</p><p>"No problem," Tony waved her off. "Hey there, Pete. I heard you might not be feeling so great."</p><p>As if in answer, Peter coughed wetly.</p><p>Tony cringed. "Yeah, that doesn't sound great."</p><p>Peter just huffed miserably and walked further into the penthouse, heading for the living area.</p><p>May pursed her lips as she watched him walk away. "Sorry," she said lowly. "He's a bit grouchy."</p><p>"Well, it's understandable."</p><p>May just sighed. Then she said, "You sure you're good to watch him? If you're busy, I can drop him off at Ned's or something."</p><p>"No, it's fine," Tony said easily. "We'll just set up here and chill. I've got the whole weekend free."</p><p>"Good. Just make sure he rests, and eats. You know probably won't admit it, but he's not feeling great. I'll be back in two days."</p><p>"Why do I feel like we're divorced with a custody agreement?"</p><p>May rolled her eyes. "Just don't let him get up to anything this weekend, okay? He's got to rest up and get over this cold."</p><p>"Yes, ma'am. As you command it, so it shall be," replied Tony, bowing mockingly.</p><p>"I'll be here to pick him up on Sunday," May said, ignoring his antics. "Call me if you need anything."</p><p>"I'm sure it'll go great." He gestured towards the door. "Now, good luck at your conference, and begone with you."</p><p>May walked away with a knowing smile on her face. After a moment, the elevator dinged and slid shut behind her.</p><p>Tony chuckled a bit to himself and put his hands on his hips before turning and looking in the direction that Peter had gone.</p><p>Now, to deal with the kid. Because of his abilities it was rare to see Peter sick, and he supposed that's why May had dropped him off here. He'd only been sick once before in the time that Tony had known him, and while it hadn't been dangerous, it hadn't been pretty either. He hoped the kid had better luck this time.</p><p>Peter was sitting on the couch, and as Tony approached he got a good look at the kid. Sure enough, he looked sick and miserable. His face was pale with red cheeks, his eyes sunken and dark. The usual mischievous smile was instead a hard line.</p><p>When he got close, Tony leaned over and reached out a hand, looking to feel the temperature on Peter's forehead. "How're you feelin', Pete?"</p><p>"I'm <em>fine," </em>Peter said, pushing his hand away in annoyance. "It's not even bad, May could have just left me home alone."</p><p>Tony lowered his hand, eyebrow raised. "Right. Because it's completely normal that wonder-kid comes down with a cold."</p><p>Peter looked away stubbornly and crossed his arms.</p><p>"And really?" Tony continued, feigning hurt. "You'd rather suffer at home alone than be here? Is my company that terrible?"</p><p>A flash of guilt crossed Peter's face, but he quickly shrugged it away. "I'm not saying that," he said. "I just don't think it's necessary. I don't need to be looked after."</p><p>"Shake the pride, kid," Tony said, exasperated. "I'm just here to help."</p><p>Peter finally looked up at him again, his expression softening. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I'm just being annoying, I know."</p><p>This time, when Tony reached to brush back the kid's hair, Peter allowed it. "Sure you are. But you're sick - there's never a better excuse for being annoying." He gave Peter a wry smile. "Just… relax, okay? I'll stay out of your hair if you want me too, but just promise me you won't leave the tower."</p><p>Peter worked his jaw, and spoke hesitantly. "I won't. And I mean… you can hang around if - if you <em>want. </em>But I don't want to make you sick."</p><p>"Well," Tony replied, "unlike some spider-crossed teenagers I know, I'm good about getting the flu shot." He patted Peter's shoulder. "I don't think I have much to worry about."</p><p>Peter nodded, looking relieved.</p><p>"So," Tony said. "You in the mood for anything in particular? We could head down to the lab if you're up to it," he suggested. But the offer was a test more than anything. He just wanted Peter to admit that he needed some downtime.</p><p>Sure enough, Peter looked hesitant at the idea. "Uh, could we maybe just… watch TV, or something? My - my head's kind of hurting," he admitted.</p><p>"You want some spidey Advil? I think we've got some upstairs."</p><p>Peter shrugged and shook his head. "No, it's not that bad."</p><p>"Ah, yes," Tony said knowingly. "We've got a martyr here. Suffering for your art, are you? You know there's no point in being in pain if you don't have to be."</p><p>Peter shook his head. "It's not that bad," he insisted. "Maybe… maybe I'll have some later, if I need to."</p><p>Tony shrugged. "Fair enough." He collapsed on the couch next to Peter. "What're we watching, then?"</p><p>"I don't know. You pick."</p><p>Tony raised an eyebrow. "Wow, you really must be sick. Letting <em>me </em>decide?"</p><p>Peter rolled his eyes, amused. "Shut up."</p><p>"Yeah, okay. But not because you told me to."</p><p>Tony smiled as Peter chuckled softly beside him. The kid never could stay angry at him for long.</p><p>He told FRIDAY to dim the lights, and they settled in for a relaxing afternoon.</p><hr/><p>Once they finished with the movie, Tony looked over at Peter to see him passed out, his face pressed into the pillow, breathing softly.</p><p>A small smile pulled on his lips. Even though he didn't enjoy seeing Peter sick, he still looked so sweet when he was asleep.</p><p>Tony extricated himself from the couch carefully before pulling the blanket higher up over Peter. He left the lights low and headed for the kitchen, planning on fixing up dinner. There was leftover steak for him and Pepper, but he was sure Peter wouldn't want to eat that right now, so he pulled a can of soup out for the kid.</p><p>As he was turning on the stove burner, Tony heard the telltale sound of Pepper entering the apartment. When she came in she always hung up her coat and - he cringed - threw her keys on the table.</p><p>Sure enough, the sound was enough to get Peter stirring, and Pepper calling out to greet him had the kid waking up completely.</p><p>Tony cursed himself, thinking he should have warned Pepper about Peter being there. But oh, well - the kid had to be up soon to eat dinner.</p><p>Pepper walked into the kitchen and greeted him with a kiss. "Hey," she said.</p><p>"Hey yourself," Tony replied with a smile. "Peter's here, by the way. He's staying for the weekend because May's going out of town, and he's a bit under the weather."</p><p>As if on cue, Peter walked in, looking tired and miserable as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand.</p><p>"Oh, hey Peter," Pepper said, looking between him and Tony. "Sorry you're not feeling so good."</p><p>Peter shrugged. "It's fine," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just tired, really."</p><p>"I'm sure you are," Pepper replied. "You should get to bed early tonight."</p><p>"I second that one," Tony said. "Get some of this soup in you and then you can crash, okay?"</p><p>Peter looked at him blearily. "I'm not hungry," he said. "Can't I just -?"</p><p>Tony shook his head. "Nope. You gotta get something in you, Pete. You won't get any better if you don't feed yourself."</p><p>Peter just grumbled under his breath.</p><p>"What was that?" Tony said. "Was that 'Thanks, I'd love some soup'? Because you're in luck, kid. I got just the thing right here."</p><p>Peter looked up at him and raised his eyebrow, unimpressed. But still, he walked over to the dining table and took a seat without further complaint, his hand moving up to rub at his eyes.</p><p>Tony glanced at Pepper in concern. It wasn't like Peter to be so quiet. He must have really not been feeling so hot.</p><p>Pepper put a hand on his shoulder. "I got this," she said, referring to the food Tony was preparing. Then she gestured over at Peter as if to say, <em>now go take care of him.</em></p><p>Tony nodded gratefully and walked over to Peter. He reached out a hand to card through Peter's hair, and was satisfied when the kid seemed to have a normal temperature. "How're you feeling, Pete?" he asked softly.</p><p>Peter sighed and looked up at him from between his fingers. "I hate being sick," he mumbled.</p><p>"Yeah, it sucks, doesn't it," Tony sympathized. "How about some of those meds now, huh? No need to be a hero here."</p><p>After a moment, Peter nodded his head, chewing on his bottom lip. "Yeah, okay."</p><p>Tony squeezed his shoulder. "Good. I'll go grab 'em."</p><p>He returned a few minutes later, meds in hand, and passed them over to Peter along with a large glass of water. About the same time, Pepper put the bowl of mostly brothy chicken soup in front of him.</p><p>"Okay, Pete," Tony said. "Down these, and eat some of this soup. Then you can hit the sack."</p><p>Peter knocked back the pills easily, but looked warily at the soup. "I'm really not hungry," he protested.</p><p>"This stuff's mostly water anyways," Tony pressed. "What you need in there is the salt. Trust me here, okay? A few bites, at least."</p><p>Reluctantly, Peter picked up his spoon and took a mouthful.</p><p>"There we go," Tony said. "Not so bad, is it?"</p><p>He and Pepper took their seats, plates of steak and potatoes sitting in front of them. Tony dug in happily, watching Peter out of the corner of his eye as he worked at the soup.</p><p>It was weird having Peter at the table but not having him talking their ear off, but Pepper was doing a good job of filling the silence. Apparently someone at SI had shown up today without their badge, and because of it Happy had managed to shut down the whole building.</p><p>"That's gotta be one of the most paranoid people I know," Tony said with a smile. "He really knows how to get the party started, doesn't he?"</p><p>"And I think we know where he gets it from," Pepper said pointedly. "Working for you tends to make people do weird things."</p><p>"Sure does," Tony joked. "Made you agree to marry me."</p><p>"Yeah, I'm still not sure what came over me there."</p><p>Pepper looked over at Peter, who had put down his spoon and was staring down into his half empty bowl of soup. "You done?" she asked him. "You don't need to finish it if you don't want to."</p><p>Peter nodded. "Yeah, I'm done. Think… I'm gonna go to bed."</p><p>"Go and get some shut eye," Tony agreed. "We'll see you in the morning, yeah? Maybe you'll feel a little better then."</p><p>Peter stood from the table. "'Night."</p><p>"Good night, Peter," Pepper said.</p><p>Peter padded off down the hall to his room, one hand rubbing at his forehead.</p><p>Tony watched him go, feeling concern stir in his chest. "He's not looking good," he said quietly to Pepper. "You think we should call Helen?"</p><p>Pepper shook her head. "No. Not yet, anyway. He's just tired, Tony," she reassured him. "I'm sure a full night's sleep will do him good."</p><p>Tony sighed. "Yeah, I guess. Just - FRIDAY?" he said a little louder.</p><p>"<em>Yes, boss?"</em></p><p>"Let me know if anything weird happens with Peter tonight. Wake me up if you need to."</p><p>"<em>Noted."</em></p><p>Pepper was looking at him fondly.</p><p>"What?" Tony said, a little defensively.</p><p>Pepper chuckled. "You're cute when you're worried," she told him.</p><p>"I'm not worried," Tony objected. "I'm just…"</p><p>"You're worried," Pepper said. "I think it's sweet."</p><p>He just grumbled a little under his breath.</p><p>"He'll be fine," Pepper reassured him, pushing up from the table and grabbing his plate for him. "Okay?"</p><p>"Yeah," Tony agreed softly. But as he looked down the shadowed hallway where Peter had disappeared, he still felt unsettled.</p><hr/><p>A buzzing on his wrist had Tony groaning as he was pulled awake.</p><p>"What?" he mumbled, glancing at the clock next to the bed. It was a little before four in the morning. Pepper was fast asleep beside him. "What is it?"</p><p>The buzzing on his wrist continued, and finally he looked down at it. When he did, the buzzing stopped and a message from FRIDAY appeared on the screen.</p><p>It was Peter.</p><p>Suddenly feeling more awake, Tony pushed back the covers - still careful not to disturb Pepper - and left the room.</p><p>Peter's room was on the other side of the penthouse. Tony had put him over there to make sure he had some privacy, and so that when he crawled in the window at dumb o'clock at night he wouldn't wake up the rest of the house. Now though, it felt impossibly far.</p><p>Finally, he reached Peter's door and pushed it open.</p><p>Immediately he saw the problem.</p><p>Peter was twisting and turning on the bed, seemingly locked in a nightmare. His face was screwed up and red, and he was mumbling incoherently.</p><p>Tony raced up to the bed and put a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Peter," he said firmly, hoping to pull Peter from the nightmare without startling him too much. "Peter, wake up."</p><p>He could feel the temperature of Peter's skin through the thin t-shirt he was wearing, and frowned. "Whoa, you're throwing all kinds of heat waves."</p><p>He moved his hand to Peter's forehead. "FRIDAY, what's his temp?" he asked. "He's burning up."</p><p>"<em>Peter's current body temperature is 102 degrees."</em></p><p>"Shit!" Tony cursed. "Yeah, that's not good." He went back to shaking Peter's shoulder. "Peter! Come on, kid. Wake up!"</p><p>Peter mumbled again, but seemed to be settling down. Then his eyes opened slowly. "Wha… Mr. Stark?"</p><p>"Yeah, it's me," Tony said. "You were having a nightmare. How're you feeling? Looks like you've got a bit of a fever." A pretty high fever, too - although because of his mutations Peter could run a little hotter than most people before they needed to be really worried.</p><p>"Oh," Peter said, pushing himself up a little. His face was pale. "I… I'm not feeling great."</p><p>Tony huffed. "Yeah, I figured. Why don't we get you some more meds, huh?"</p><p>"Water," Peter said. "Can I have some water?"</p><p>"Yeah," Tony nodded and squeezed his shoulder. "No problem. Gimme two minutes."</p><p>Tony walked back into the room with the water and pills to find the bed empty. "Peter?" he said, confused. "Where are you?"</p><p>A sound from the bathroom answered his question for him. Sighing, Tony put down the stuff on Peter's bedside table and went over to the bathroom.</p><p>Sure enough, Peter was inside, heaving his guts up into the toilet.<br/>Tony cringed at the sight and smell, but managed to steel himself and put a comforting hand on Peter's back.</p><p>"Yikes," he said. "This isn't a good turn of events."</p><p>In answer Peter heaved again, his neck and back tensing.</p><p>"Sorry, Peter," Tony said. "This is no fun, I know."</p><p>Peter moaned. "I'm not supposed to get sick," he whined.</p><p>Tony patted his back sympathetically. "Yeah, I know. I guess everyone has to have their turn sometime."</p><p>"Great," Peter groaned. A moment later, he was heaving again, but this time there was nothing to bring up. That only made sense - he'd barely eaten anything last night.</p><p>Tony sat with him, perching on the edge of the bathtub, as he dry heaved a few more times, then seemed to settle. He rubbed Peter's back. "Think you can go back to bed?" he said.</p><p>Peter considered that, and then nodded.</p><p>Tony helped him to his feet and back into bed, bringing a trash can with him. He was surprised Peter had even managed to make it to the toilet this time.</p><p>Once Peter was tucked in again, Tony grabbed the pills and the cup of water and handed them off.</p><p>Peter took them, but looked wary. "What if I just throw it up?" he said.</p><p>"I think it's better to try," Tony said. "You gotta replace the liquids you just threw up. And water can help settle your stomach, sometimes."</p><p>Peter sighed. "Okay." He lifted the pills to his mouth and swallowed them down with several gulps of water. His face was still pale, and he was hot to the touch.</p><p>"FRI, what's his temperature now?"</p><p>"<em>102.2 degrees," </em>FRIDAY replied.</p><p>Tony sighed. At least it was pretty much holding steady.</p><p>He looked down at Peter, who was snuggling back down into his blankets and looking miserable. "You gonna be okay, Peter?" he asked. "I can stay here, if you want."</p><p>Peter's eyes were closed, and his only response was to give a little groan.</p><p>"Right," Tony said, settling into the armchair pushed against the wall. "Well, I'll take that as a yes."</p><p>It seemed like Peter had already fallen back asleep. Tony shook his head, just watching the kid sleep for a moment, before leaning back and closing his own eyes. Surprisingly, it wasn't long before he was asleep.</p><hr/><p>Tony woke suddenly, with the feeling that something was wrong, and looked over at Peter, desperate to know that the kid was alright.</p><p>Peter was still asleep, his chest rising and falling steadily. A bit of sunlight was starting to come in through the window, illuminating him. He still looked drawn and pale, but it didn't seem like anything was different from before.</p><p>He took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet, going over to check more closely.</p><p>One hand on Peter's forehead told him that there was definitely still a fever. "Temp, FRI?" he asked quietly.</p><p>"<em>105.3," </em>FRIDAY told him.</p><p>Tony's eyes widened, and his heart rate kicked up. "Whoa! Okay. Not good, right? Is that bad?"</p><p>"<em>It is above the acceptable range for non-mutated humans."</em></p><p>"And what about Peter?"</p><p>"<em>I would recommend seeking medical assistance, boss. High grade fevers can be the result of a number of maladies."</em></p><p>Tony swallowed. "Shit," he muttered. "Okay." He put a hand on Peter's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Peter?"</p><p>Peter only shifted a little, and didn't open his eyes.</p><p>"Pete, wake up," he said, a little more firmly.</p><p>Still nothing.</p><p>"Hey, Peter. Wake up, okay?" He was starting to sound a little desperate. But surely this wasn't normal. Why wasn't he waking up?</p><p>Tony moved his hand to the kid's chest and rubbed his knuckles against his sternum. "Come on, Peter. Wake up, now."</p><p>The pain seemed to finally stir him. Peter stopped twisting and mumbling and blinked his eyes open blearily. "What," he mumbled. "W'as goin' on."</p><p>"Your fever's getting a little too high, bud. We're gonna walk down to the medbay and see if we can't get you something for it."</p><p>"Huh?" Peter said, his response a little slow. "I don't… what?"</p><p>Tony pulled down the covers and was alarmed at the heat rising from Peter's body. His clothes were sticky with sweat. "We're taking a trip downstairs to get you checked out." He reached to help Peter sit up. "You gotta work with me here, okay? Get on up for me."</p><p>Peter shook his head, grumbling. "'M not goin' to school," he said. "I don' feel good."</p><p>Tony clenched his jaw, feeling his chest constrict with worry. "Not school," he said. "Medbay. Downstairs. You hearing me, Pete?"</p><p>Peter was at least sitting upright now, his breathing a little heavy. "Wha… You…" He cocked his head and squinted up at Tony. "Ben?"</p><p>Tony froze.</p><p>"Ben," Peter continued, his eyes worryingly unfocused. "Where're we goin'?"</p><p>Tony took a shaky breath and shook his head. "No, Pete," he said softly. "It's me. Tony. Mr. Stark. Come on, you know me."</p><p>Peter's response was unintelligible mumbling.</p><p>"Shit. FRIDAY," Tony called out. "Alert the medbay. And get the elevator ready." He reached an arm behind Peter and pushed him forwards, trying to get him to move off the bed. "Come on, Peter," he said, a little frantically. "Just - come on."</p><p>Peter shook his head, then winced, his hand flying up to the back of his neck. "No… 's not today."</p><p>Tony let out a frustrated sound. This was so not okay. "Peter, you're sick. We gotta get you downstairs, okay?"</p><p>"Oh… yeah," Peter said, though Tony wasn't sure he really understood.</p><p>Finally, Tony was able to get Peter on his feet, one of his arms pulled over his shoulders. "Let's go," he coaxed, panic rising into his throat as Peter's steps were slow and unsteady.</p><p>How did this happen? He was fine just a couple hours ago, and now -</p><p>They stumbled into the elevator. Immediately the doors slid shut and it started to move down towards the medbay. Not for the first time, Tony was grateful to have access to state of the art medical equipment and a good team of people. This wasn't the first time Peter had needed their services. The only difference was, this time it wasn't Spider-Man related. It was just Peter.</p><p>"I'm tired," Peter mumbled.</p><p>"I know, bud," Tony said, looking impatiently at the number ticking down. "Just another minute, okay?"</p><p>"Mm," Peter said.</p><p>Then the doors opened, and Tony walked Peter forwards, looking out for someone to help them. Thankfully, FRIDAY had sent the message already, and a few nurses - Tony recognized O'Rion and Talley - were there to take Peter and lead him to a bed.</p><p>"Right there," O'Rion said, gently getting Peter situated. "Mr. Stark, could you fill us in here?"</p><p>"He's confused," Tony told them. "I don't know what's wrong with him. He - he didn't understand where we were going. He -" he shook his head. "What's wrong with him?"</p><p>"How long has he been sick?" Talley asked as she scribbled on the tablet in her hand.</p><p>"Just the last day or so. He went to bed early last night, and then - a couple hours ago he was up, he threw up. But he wasn't like this then," he said, gesturing to Peter. "He wasn't confused."</p><p>O'Rion was pulling open drawers and pulling out supplies. He put Peter's finger into a pulse oximeter, then readied to put in an IV. "Temperature's at 105.5," he told Talley.</p><p>Talley nodded. "Okay, Mr. Stark. It's good you brought him to us. We're gonna run some tests, and then -"</p><p>Tony's head snapped back to look at Peter as he saw the kid suddenly tense up. Then he watched in horror as Peter convulsed on the bed.</p><p>"He's seizing," Tally said, and reached to grab something from a nearby cabinet.</p><p>"What's happening?" Tony said desperately, his eyes wide. O'Rion had one hand up towards him, trying to dissuade him from coming any closer. "What's wrong with him?"</p><p>A firm voice came from behind him. "Step back, Tony."</p><p>He turned to see Helen Cho walking steadily towards them, pulling her white coat on over her shoulders.</p><p>"Helen," Tony said, relieved. He looked back at Peter, who was still convulsing. "It's - Peter, he -"</p><p>Helen put a hand on his shoulder. "Tony, we've got this. I'm gonna take care of him, okay? Calm down, go take a seat, and I'll come talk to you in a minute."</p><p>Tony nodded shakily, looking over at Peter once again, his stomach twisting in fear. "Okay," he said. "Right." He backed up slowly, not wanting to leave Peter but also trusting Helen to do her best to help him. He would only get in the way.</p><p>Helen nodded at him, then reached up and pulled the curtain around the bed.</p><p>Tony stared at the curtain, his breaths coming heavily. Adrenaline still raced in his veins. But there was nothing more he could do. All he could do was wait.</p><hr/><p>He'd sat in the waiting area for a half an hour before Pepper showed up, looking frightened.</p><p>"Tony? What's going on?" She was still in her pajamas, her hair a little mussed from sleep. "Is Peter okay?"</p><p>Tony cursed himself. He should have told Pepper as soon as he'd gotten down here. Before, even. "I don't know," he said, reaching out to grab her hand when she got close. The touch grounded him. "Helen's looking after him now."</p><p>Pepper glanced over to the other side of the medbay and squeezed his hand tight. "What happened?"</p><p>Tony shook his head. "He woke up and was super confused. Had a hell of a fever. Thought I was his uncle," he said. "I dragged him down here, and then - Pep -" the image of Peter writhing on the bed came to his mind, and he almost shuddered. "He had a seizure."</p><p>Pepper let out a short breath. She looked worried. "God. But I - I'm sure Helen's taking good care of him," she said.</p><p>"Yeah," Tony breathed.</p><p>They settled in to wait for news, Pepper's hand staying tight in his.</p><p>But it turned out they didn't have to wait long. Soon enough Helen was walking over to where he sat in the waiting area, a clipboard under her arm.</p><p>Tony stood. "Is he okay? What - what is it?"</p><p>"Take a seat, Tony," Helen said calmly.</p><p>Reluctantly, Tony did as she asked, but it didn't help calm him down. Pepper put her hand on his back.</p><p>"He's okay," Helen said. "The seizure stopped not long after you left.."</p><p>"What is it?" Tony asked again. "What's wrong with him?"</p><p>"We're thinking that it's meningitis."</p><p>Tony blinked, and glanced at Pepper. "Meningitis?" she said. "That's - that's serious."</p><p>"It is," Helen agreed. "But it also has a simple treatment plan: antibiotics. We've already got him set up. With how fast he responds to things, he'll probably be back to normal vitals by the end of the day, and totally recovered in a few more."</p><p>Tony heaved a relieved sigh. "Thank god," he said.</p><p>"It's good that you brought him here when you did, though," Helen said.</p><p>"He was so confused," Tony said softly. "He - he didn't even know who I was."</p><p>Helen nodded. "It's not unusual for meningitis patients to become confused. The disease infects the membranes that surround your brain, and the swelling can cause complications. But don't worry, there's no evidence that it's more than temporary."</p><p>"What about the seizure?" Pepper asked. "Were there any effects from that?"</p><p>Helen shook her head. "He'll probably be a bit sore from it, but nothing more."</p><p>"Okay," Tony said, nodding. He felt his body finally start to relax.</p><p>"You should call May," Pepper told him.</p><p>"That's a good idea," Helen said. "Take a walk, and by the time you come back you can come in and sit with Peter. He shouldn't be awake for another couple of hours."</p><p>"Yeah. Thanks, Helen."</p><p>She gave him a little smile. "It's what I'm here for, Tony."</p><hr/><p>Tony didn't even think about the time when he called May, but she must have been awake anyways because she answered quickly.</p><p>"<em>Tony?" </em>she said. "<em>Is everything okay?"</em></p><p>"Yes," Tony frontloaded. Pepper raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, kind of. It wasn't, for a minute. It still kind of isn't."</p><p>A pause. "<em>Are you going to explain?"</em></p><p>Tony swallowed. "Well… the short of it is that Peter has meningitis."</p><p>"<em>What?" </em>May gasped. "<em>Peter…? Oh, my god."</em></p><p>"Yeah, he can never do things halfway," Tony said darkly, scratching the top of his head. "But he's in the medbay now, and Helen's looking out for him. They've got him on antibiotics, and Helen says he should be fine in a couple days."</p><p>Tony heard May let out a shaky breath. "<em>Thank god I left him with you. He almost convinced me not to."</em></p><p>The thought of Peter succumbing to fever alone in their apartment had Tony clenching his jaw. "Yeah," he said. "Good foresight on that one."</p><p>"<em>Is he awake? Can I talk to him?"</em></p><p>"No, he's out right now. I'll call you again when he wakes up."</p><p>"<em>Okay. Well, I should - I'll - I'll change my flight. I'll be back tonight."</em></p><p>Tony shook his head. "No. It's okay. Stay. Give your presentation, and come back tomorrow. I've got Peter. He's gonna be fine."</p><p>There was a pause as May considered that. "<em>I -" </em>she sighed. "<em>Okay. Thank you, Tony. For looking out for him."</em></p><p>Tony quirked a little smile, thinking back to what Cho had said. "No problem, May. It's what I'm here for."</p><hr/><p>It was a few hours later when Peter finally woke up again.</p><p>Tony was sitting by his bed, scrolling through channels on the TV, and he turned the volume down when he noticed Peter's eyelids fluttering.</p><p>"Pete?" he said, putting the remote away and leaning forwards. "You awake?"</p><p>Peter let out a soft groan and opened his eyes. Immediately he squinted back against the light, and covered his face with his hand.</p><p>"FRI?" Tony said quickly. "Turn down the lights over here. Forty percent."</p><p>The lights lowered, and Peter was able to relax and fully open his eyes. He looked over at Tony. "Mr. Stark?" he said, sounding a little confused. "What - what happened?"</p><p>"Gave me a bit of a scare last night, is what happened. Congratulations, kid," Tony said, patting Peter's knee. "You've got meningitis."</p><p>Peter blinked. "Menin… meningitis?"</p><p>"That's right. Couldn't just get the common cold, now, could you?" Tony ribbed. "You've got to make everything so dramatic."</p><p>Tony watched as Peter centered himself, and then raised his eyebrows. "Well, I can't be blamed," he said, shrugging. "Drama follows me."</p><p>Tony snorted. "That it does."</p><p>There was a pause as Peter looked around for a moment before his gaze landed back on Tony. He fisted the sheets nervously. "I don't remember getting here."</p><p>Tony pushed aside the thoughts of Peter from just a few hours ago, disoriented and seizing and burning up from fever, and gave the kid's knee a squeeze. "You wouldn't. You were pretty out of it."</p><p>"But I'm… I'm okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, Pete," he said softly, giving him a sincere smile. "You're okay. Just need some antibiotics and a bit of rest, is all. You'll be back to annoying us again in no time."</p><p>Peter smiled back softly, and relaxed back into his pillows. "Good," he said, sounding relieved. "I still feel pretty crappy though," he admitted.</p><p>"Well, you heal fast, but not <em>that </em>fast. You need time to rest up from this." He raised an eyebrow. "Might have to wait to put the suit back on until next week. Can you do that?"</p><p>Peter rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I can," he grumbled.</p><p>"Good," Tony said, giving Peter's knee a final pat before leaning back in his chair. "Now, help me out here and pick a channel." He passed Peter the TV remote. "I think Queer Eye is on."</p><p>Peter's eyes lit up, and he quickly looked through to find it. Tony watched him in amusement, reveling in the fact that he was okay. Last night might have been a nightmare, but Peter was okay.</p><p>And for now, that was all he needed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoyed this indulgent little story! Let me know your thoughts, if you've got 'em! If not, have a nice day!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>